1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image formation system and to a connection unit, the image formation system including an image formation apparatus, such as an image reading apparatus reading a document to form image data, in plural quantities and the plurality of image formation apparatuses being integrally assembled by the connection unit.
2. Related Art
In the related art, an image reading apparatus such as a scanner apparatus is known as an example of an image formation apparatus. As this type of image reading apparatus, known are a flatbed scanner apparatus and a sheet-fed scanner apparatus. The flatbed scanner apparatus reads an image of a document using a reader such as a line sensor while moving a carriage along a glass plate below the glass plate of a document stand on which the document pressed by a document stand cover is mounted.
The sheet-fed scanner apparatus transports plural sheets of documents set in an automatic document transport device (hereinafter, referred to as “auto document feeder (ADF) device”) one sheet at a time in order and reads an image of a document using a reader such as a line sensor arranged midway of a transport path of the document.
The flatbed scanner apparatus can read an image of a little thick document such as a book or a passport. Meanwhile, the sheet-fed scanner apparatus cannot read a thick document but can read images of a plurality of documents by automatically transporting the documents without a need to set the documents one by one as in the flatbed type. Thus, the flatbed scanner apparatus and the sheet-fed scanner apparatus are appropriately used according to the respective purposes thereof. In order to realize the purposes of both apparatuses, there is also known an image reading apparatus having functions of both of a flatbed scanner unit and a sheet-fed scanner unit (for example, JP-A-2011-120139 or the like).
In, for example, JP-A-2003-333278 and JP-A-2006-254212, there is disclosed an image reading apparatus in which the flatbed scanner apparatus and the sheet-fed scanner apparatus are integrally docked in an attachably detachable manner.
In JP-A-2003-333278, there is disclosed a combination scanner using both platen scanning (flatbed scanning) and sheet-supplied scanning (sheet-fed scanning).
In the combination scanner, a platen unit can be docked in an attachably detachable manner on a sheet-supplied scanning unit that includes an auto feeder mechanism.
In JP-A-2006-254212, there is disclosed a configuration improving workability in attachment and detachment of two scanners in an electronic apparatus that includes two scanners of a sheet-through scanner and a flatbed scanner in a separably connectable manner. In the electronic apparatus, the sheet-through scanner is fixed to the flatbed scanner by hooking a hook into a recessed portion at a position where a contact substrate is exposed by sliding the sheet-through scanner. In conjunction with the operation of hooking the hook at the time of fixing, a contact member is pushed toward the sheet-through scanner by a lever, and this allows contact substrates of both scanners to be electrically connected.
In the image reading apparatuses disclosed in JP-A-2003-333278 and in JP-A-2006-254212, both of the scanner apparatuses are required to incorporate a docking mechanism having a comparatively complicated structure that includes an electrical connection mechanism providing an electrical connection between both scanner apparatuses when the two scanner apparatuses are docked. In addition, makers have to individually manufacture a scanner apparatus with an attached docking mechanism, a flatbed scanner apparatus, and a sheet-fed scanner apparatus. Thus, it is considered that an image reading system is configured by using an existing single-functioned flatbed scanner apparatus and a sheet-fed scanner apparatus, for example, by integrally assembling a plurality of image reading apparatuses (scanner apparatuses) using a separate component, a connection unit such as a docking member. An image reading system is not limited to a combination of a plurality of scanner apparatuses having different functions. According to purposes or needs, it is also considered that an image reading system is configured by, for example, integrally assembling a plurality of flatbed scanner apparatuses using a connection unit or by integrally assembling a plurality of sheet-fed scanner apparatuses using a connection unit.
However, if an image reading system is configured as above, a power source system component such as a power source adapter is required to be separately connected to each image reading apparatus in order to supply power source power to the plurality of image reading apparatuses. Thus, even though the image reading apparatuses are integrally assembled as one image reading system, a problem arises in that a power source system component such as a power source adapter is required in larger quantities than is required in the image reading apparatuses disclosed in JP-A-2003-333278 and in JP-A-2006-254212. This leads to a need for preparation of a plug outlet (plug receiver) in plural quantities for plugging plugs of the power source system components connected to the image reading system into an alternating current power source and also leads to likelihood of obstruction by cables such as a power source cable and a communication cable exposed around the image reading system.
The problems are not limited to an image formation apparatus such as an image reading apparatus reading an image of a document and forming data of the image. Substantially the same problem also exists in a case where an image formation system is configured by integrally assembling, using a connection unit, a plurality of image formation apparatuses including at least one image formation apparatus such as a printing apparatus forming an image by printing on a medium such as a paper.